Aloe plant named &#39;Safari Rose&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aloe  plant named ‘Safari Rose’, characterized by light salmon-pink colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage tipped with greyed-red, moderately vigorous growth rate, and upright-compact growth habit, is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/176,490 filed Feb. 19, 2015.

LATIN NAME OF GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Aloe hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Safari Rose’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aloe ofhybrid origin, botanically known as Aloe ‘Safari Rose’ and will bereferred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Safari Rose’, ‘Safari Rose’is a new cultivar of flowering Aloe grown for landscape and containeruse.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding programestablished by the Inventor at a nursery in South Africa in 1973. Theoverall purpose of the breeding program is to make selections of hybridAloe with desirable horticultural characteristics to include improvedvigor, flowering ability, and disease resistance. ‘Safari Rose’ wasselected in the Inventor's trial bed in June 2007 as a single uniqueplant from amongst the seedlings derived from a cross made in June 2005between complex hybrids in the Inventor's breeding program as the femaleparent and male parents. The female (seed) parent of the new cuitivar isthe proprietary Aloe hybrid breeding selection uncoded, not patented,characterized by its light white and pink bicolored flowers, lightgrey-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact growth habit. Themale (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Aloe hybridbreeding selection coded SP133, not patented, characterized by its lightred and white bicolored flowers, light grey-colored foliage, low growthvigor, and upright growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by offshoots and in vitropropagation since June 2007 in Linbro Park, Republic of South Africa andGuadalupe, Calif. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces trueto type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmlyfixed and retained through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cuitivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Safari Rose’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Aloe plant:

1. Light salmon-pink colored flowers;

2. Medium green-colored foliage tipped with greyed-red;

3. Moderately vigorous growth rate; and

4. Upright-compact growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from its female and male parentsprimarily in flower and foliage color.

Of the many commercially available Aloe cultivars, the most similar incomparison to the new cultivar is Safari Sunrise ‘X5’, U.S. Plant Pat.No. 23,267. However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the newcuitivar differ from plants of ‘X5’ in at least the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new cultivar have a flower color different from plantsof ‘X5’;

2. Plants of the new cultivar have a leaf color different from plants of‘X5’; and

3. Plants of the new cultivar have slightly larger flowers than plantsof ‘X5’.

In addition plants of the new cultivar can be compared to Aloe Hedgehog‘Andhopg’, not patented. However, in side by side comparisons, plants ofthe new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Andhopg’ in at least thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new cultivar have a flower color different from plantsof ‘Andhopg’;

2. Plants of the new cultivar have a leaf color different from plants of‘Andhopg’; and

3. Plants of the new cultivar are sterile, unlike plants of ‘Andhopg’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘SafariRose’. The plants were 18 months old and grown in 1-gallon containersfor 10 months in a poly-covered greenhouse in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Safari Rose’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an inflorescence of “Safari Rose'.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype maysomewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, lightintensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined in July 2015 under naturallight conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom in vitro plantlets from stock plants and grown in a poly-coveredgreenhouse without supplemental heating or cooling. Temperatures forthis period ranged from an average daily high of 71° F. (22° C.) to anaverage daily low of 50° F. (10° C.). The plants were 18 months old andgrown in Arroyo Grande, Calif. in 1-gallon containers for 10 monthsutilizing a soilless growth medium. No supplemental lighting wasprovided. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Aloe hybrid cultivar Safari Rose.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Aloe hybrid breeding selection            uncoded, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Aloe hybrid breeding selection            coded SP133, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Offshoots or in vitro propagules.        -   Time required for root development.—Between 7 to 21 days at            an average air temperature of 15° C. to 25° C.        -   Time required to develop flowering sized plants.—9 to 12            months.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy, cream to            brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching, dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant type.—Aloe hybrid, monoecious, evergreen.        -   Plant habit and general appearance.—Clump forming, rosulate,            succulent.        -   Blooming habit.—Blooms autumn to winter and erratically            throughout the year in hardy zones.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Height and spread.—Height from soil level to top of plant            plane: Approximately 37.0 cm. Width: Approximately 28.0 cm.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zone 1.0a.        -   Diseases and pests.—No unique aspects concerning            susceptibility or resistance.        -   Growing conditions.—Tolerant in a range of soils from humic            to sandy to light clay, performs well in full to filtered            sun.        -   Stems.—Appearance: Covered by leaf bases. Stem surface:            Glabrous. Length: Approximately 6.0 cm. Width at base:            Approximately 2.0 cm. Color: 15513.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Form: Simple. Arrangement: Alternate.        -   Leaves.—Quantity: Approximately 15 per rosette as grown in a            1-gallon container. Shape: Narrowly sword-shaped, elongated.            Appearance: Sulcate. Margin: Denticulate, teeth white and            tinted 179A in sun. Apex: Tapering to a sharp point. Base:            Decurrent. Venation pattern: Parallel. Length: Approximately            21.0 cm. Width: Approximately 3.0 cm. Depth: Approximately            1.0 cm at thickest point. Texture of upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous. Color of upper and lower surfaces:            Slightly glaucous 137B with 144A, tipped with 179A, with age            tip color becomes 179A to 179B and extends down leaf.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Dense racemes of single flowers            held on erect and strong scapes. Length: Approximately            18.0 cm. Width: Approximately 6.0 cm. Fragrance: None            detected. Quantity: Approximately 32 flowers and buds per            inflorescence, with 1 to 2 inflorescences as grown in a            1-gallon container. Lastingness on plant: Flowers open from            base towards the apex, average of 5 days per flower, not            persistent.        -   Peduncles (scapes).—Strength: Very strong. Length:            Approximately 20.0 cm to base of inflorescence. Diameter:            Approximately 6.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 137A,            slightly glaucous.        -   Peduncle bracts.—Arrangement: Alternately along length of            peduncle. Shape: Ovate, Apex: Apiculate. Base: Truncate.            Length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Width at base: Approximately            6.0 ‘um. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,            papery. Color: Closest to N155D with streaks of 200B.-   Flower description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Solitary, campanulate, not            persistent.        -   Flower buds just before opening.—Shape: Cylindrical. Length:            Approximately 3.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 8.0 mm            Texture: Glabrous, Color: 179D with 137A at apex.        -   Perianth.—Length: Approximately 3.2 cm plus pistil extending            outward approximately 3.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 8.0            mm.        -   Tepals.—Quantity: 6, arranged in two whorls. Length:            Approximately 3.2 cm. Width: Approximately 5.0 to 6.0 mm,            lower 3.0 mm fused. Margin: Entire. Apex: Broadly acute.            Base: Fused. Texture of lower (outer) and upper (inner)            surfaces: Glabrous. Color of lower (outer) surface when            first and fully open: 179D, 179C at base, apex of 155D with            a small central vein of 144A. Color of upper (inner) surface            when first and fully open: 179D with approximately upper            half of 155D and venation of 145A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A tinted            with 179A, slightly glaucous.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androcoeciuni: Stamen quantity: 6 per            flower, inserted at base of ovary. Stamen length:            Approximately 2.8 cm. Filament length: Approximately 2.7 cm.            Filament color: Close to 1541). Anther shape: Bilobed,            dorisfixed. Anther length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Anther            color: N25A with 25A. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color:            25C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil            length: Approximately 3.5 cm. Stigma shape: Capitate. Stigma            length: Less than 1.0 mm. Stigma color: 145D. Style length:            Approximately 2.8 cm. Style color: 145C. Ovary shape: Ovoid,            superior. Ovary length: Approximately 7.0 mm. Ovary width:            3.0 mm. Color: 144A.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aloe plant named‘Safari Rose’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.